CHICAGO - November 3, 2011. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon today pledged to work with state agencies and Scott Air Force Base leadership to identify available resources for 110 civilian employees whose positions at the military facility are being eliminated.

Simon, who visited the base in September, learned of the cuts Wednesday evening from Col. Michael Hornitschek, commander of the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott Air Force Base. As chair of the state's Interagency Military Base Support and Economic Development Committee (IMBSEDC), Simon offered to work with Col. Hornitschek to identify resources that could help the displaced individuals and the base.

"Scott Air Force Base is an economic engine in Illinois, and I am disappointed that the Air Force had to make this decision," Simon said. "As a native of Troy, a community near Scott Air Force Base where many citizens are employed by the base, I understand the social and economic impact these changes will have in the Metro East region and beyond. The state will use its resources to help get displaced workers back on the job."

Scott Air Force Base announced that 321 positions will be eliminated in response to a Department of Defense directive to freeze civilian job growth. Of those 321 positions, 122 were already vacant, 49 are held by employees who will voluntarily retire or separate from federal service by the end of December, and 40 are employees who will be moved from eliminated positions into other positions. This leaves 110 eliminated, occupied positions with employees who have not applied for incentive programs or for which no matching vacancy has been identified at this time, according to the base.

As chair of the IMBSEDC, Simon is visiting each of the state's military installations to learn about the base's operations, their impact on the state economy and relationship with local communities. The committee was established in 2005 in response to nationwide base closures, and it continues to make recommendations to local, state and federal policymakers on retention, realignment and reuse efforts.

Nearly 20 Soldiers Return Oct. 28 After Deploying As an Embedded Training Team

BLOOMINGTON, IL (10/25/2011)(readMedia)-- A homecoming ceremony is scheduled for approximately 20 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers with Bilateral Embedded Staff Team (BEST) A7. The ceremony for BEST A7 will be Oct. 28 at 11 a.m. at the Bloomington National Guard Armory, 1616 S. Main St. in Bloomington.

The team was mobilized in January. It deployed to Poland for approximately two months to train with the Polish Land Forces before departing for Afghanistan. The unique mission allows Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers to train and deploy side-by-side with their Polish counterparts. The Soldiers are from various parts of Illinois and were selected for the mission based on their training and skills.

The team provided operational, intelligence, logistical, communications, engineering and planning support to the ninth rotation of Polish Forces to Afghanistan. The task force it supported was composed of almost 4,000 Polish and U.S. forces assisting more than 9,000 Afghan security forces in one of the largest provinces in eastern Afghanistan.

The team completed several ongoing construction projects designed to improve the safety and expand the reach of all security forces in the Ghazni Province.

The Soldiers also established development and transition programs for several of the less violent districts.

Most of the team participated in convoy and combat operations supporting Polish and Afghan Forces.

News media attending the event should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the ceremony. For more information call the Public Affairs Office at 217-761-3569.

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Clergy Training Scheduled for Mount Vernon, Bloomington, Elgin and Springfield

FOREST PARK, IL (10/14/2011)(readMedia)-- A group of 18 clergy members from the Chicago area gathered at the Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park Oct. 5 to attend the first of several free training events sponsored by the Illinois National Guard. Similar training will occur at other churches across the state later in October.

The training is designed to raise awareness among community religious leaders about the challenges faced by servicemembers and their families, with a focus on deployment related issues such as anger management, suicide prevention, military marriages, and church and community support for the military.

Partners in Care is a program dedicated to providing servicemembers community resources through local congregations, said Capt. Vincent C. Lambert of Chicago, Illinois National Guard chaplain with the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery Regiment in Chicago.

The goal of Partners in Care is to provide military personnel with local community support in their geographical area, said Lambert.

There are 68 congregations across Illinois that are part of the organization, which was started in fall 2009. However, Lambert said, most of these are in the northern region of Illinois and more support is needed in other areas of the state.

With only a handful of chaplains to minister to 13,000 Illinois National Guard members, the need is great, said Lambert.

"We know that anger is a significant issue for those who are in military service, particularly those who are returning from deployment," said Lambert.

Juliann Steinbeigel of Springfield, the director of psychological health for the Illinois National Guard, spoke about anger management issues. She discussed stress triggers and coping mechanisms to deal with the stressors and emotions that can impact a Soldier's life, such as survivor's guilt.

Steinbeigel said servicemembers are at a heightened stress level when returning from a deployment and may be bothered by things that did not upset them before.

A new initiative for Partners in Care, said Steinbeigel, is to link up with units who are scheduled to deploy as a way to be pro-active in providing support for military families.

Pastor Jerry H. Gleason of Bartlett, who ministers at Twin Oaks Baptist Church, was another guest speaker at the seminar. Gleason retired from Illinois Army National Guard at the rank of lieutenant colonel after serving for 31 years as a chaplain. He talked about ways to bridge the gap between the church and the military.

"For the most part, servicemembers face the same challenges as non-military families," said Gleason. "They are simply overwhelmed by life issues."

Gleason said clergy can develop a veteran's ministry by rallying the servicemembers within their congregation and developing services that emphasize the church's support of the military.

"The local church will always be there...when other people and agencies often move on or back off," said Gleason.

Maurice L. Lofton, of Chicago, a Vietnam War veteran and church elder at Liberty Temple Church, said the need to provide support for returning veterans is vital.

"When guys deploy, men come home, and women now, they need someone to bring them back into society...they don't know the society that they left...I mean everything's changed," said Lofton. "There are issues when they come back."

Lofton, who attends meetings on a regular basis to help him deal with his experiences as a Marine in Vietnam, even 43 years later, hopes to start offering a veterans support group at his church.

"What I'd like to see, even as far as the clergy is concerned, is to ease them back into society. We know it's not going to be easy," said Lofton. "You need this to help bridge that gap that's missing right now."

Capt. Oluwatoyin O. Hines of Chicago, a chaplain with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 108th Sustainment Brigade in Chicago who works full-time for the Wounded Warrior Ministry, said she was grateful for the support she received from her church when she returned from deployment.

"Partners in Care and the church environment allows the servicemember to reintegrate emotionally, spiritually and psychologically in their own time and in a nurturing environment," said Hines.

Lambert said he hopes to see more servicemembers and congregational communities join Partners in Care to increase its outreach to troops and their families in Illinois.

"Faith group leaders will receive pertinent information to minister, not only to military personnel, but to the community," said Lambert.

There are still seats available at all the remaining 2011 Illinois National National Guard Church Leaders Training seminars, held at various locations throughout Illinois during October.

All are encouraged to attend. For further information, please contact Chaplain Lambert at vincent.lambert@us.army.mil or 773-406-5183.

October 18---Logan Street Baptist Church, 601 South 21st Street, Mount Vernon, IL 62864---9am-1pm

October 20---Illinois Army National Guard Armory, 1616 S. Main St., Bloomington, IL 61701---9am-1pm

October 25---Harvest Bible Chapel, 1000 N. Randall Rd. Elgin, IL 60123---9am-1pm

October 26---Illinois Military Academy, Camp Lincoln, 1301 N. Macarthur Blvd, Springfield, IL 62702---9am-1pm

Photo 1: U.S Army photo by Spc Starr A. Ivey, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment - Eduardo (Edward) Negron, of Berwyn, Assistant to the Member Care Department at Living Word Christian Center, asks a question at the conference for Partners in Care on October 5, a training seminar geared toward faith leaders. The event, sponsored by the Illinois National Guard, aims to provide a support network between local churches and the military community.

Photo 2: U.S Army photo by Spc Starr A. Ivey, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment - Mariann J. Blacconiere, Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Hines VA Hospital, gives a lecture about suicide prevention (Operation SAVE) at a Partners in Care training seminar, held at the Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park, October 5.

Photo 3: U.S Army photo by Spc Starr A. Ivey, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment - Capt. Vincent C. Lambert, Illinois National Guard chaplain with the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery Regiment in Chicago speaks during an Illinois National Guard Church Leaders Training event at Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park, Oct. 5. The seminar is the first of seven held throughout Illinois in October. The training educates faith leaders about the needs of servicemembers and helps bridge the gap between the church and military families.

For high resolution photos, please contact the Illinois National Guard Public Affairs Office at ngilstaffpao@ng.army.mil

Story by Spc. Starr A. Ivey, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment